“We Spent Some Time In Pennsylvania” – Cabinet Throws 5th Annual Susquehanna Breakdown
Article written by Kelly Malave
The picturesque backdrop of Montage Mountain welcomed guests this past weekend to enjoy two days filled with back-to-back bluegrass music. Feeling like one big family reunion, friends, couples and children rejoiced with each other as the terrain began to fill in. The festival is small enough to see in its entirety upon entering the gates and Friday’s weather couldn’t have been better. Entry into the venue was quick and easy, and within moments of arrival you felt at home. The Breakdown Stage greeted you immediately as you entered with its beautiful backdrop of trees and familiar faces, while the Susquehanna Stage awaited just a short distance away underneath the pavilion aligned with colorful vendors.
The music began at 6:30 Friday night, giving campers and attendees a chance to settle in. First up were The Dishonest Fiddlers, kicking off the Breakdown stage with their upbeat folk tunes, exciting the crowd for a night full of music. Keller Williams took the stage next, leaving fans grinning ear to ear with songs like “Doobie In My Pocket” keeping true to his silly demeanor. Cabinet joined the stage with Keller, their first of many sets of the weekend, exclaiming “This is a lot of people! Definitely more people than last year on Friday.” They brought a fun energy with Keller’s “Bumper Sticker,” getting the whole crowd to howl at the moon, and even played some pop covers including Modest Mouse’s “Float On” and Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab.”
Keller got off stage, and Cabinet went on to play their own set, jamming out fan favorites “Tower” and “The Dove,” keeping up a high energy all throughout the set. “Pine Billy” was quite the crowd pleaser, with everyone chanting along, leaving the name in everyone’s head for the course of the weekend. Closing out the Breakdown Stage Friday was funky LA-based trio Organ Freeman, who changed up the bluegrass vibe with some fun jazz-infused grooves. Their jams turned heads and provided unstoppable toe-tapping beneath the bright stars illuminating the Pennsylvania sky.
Saturday awoke to the calming sound of raindrops, bringing on the perfect environment and temperature to get some extra sleep before a jam-packed day of music. Being that the campground is only a stone’s throw away from the stages, campers enjoyed sound checks from the Susquehanna Stage as well as the production crew goofing off with the song “Yeah” by Usher at a convenient 8:00 AM. Being camped so close to the main stage definitely had its benefits. Serene Green and Graham Mazer Duo opened up the Breakdown Stage while Driftwood was the first band to play the beautiful Susquehanna Stage. One of the best things about this festival is there are no overlapping sets. This sort of setup made it easy to see and hear all the music you wanted as you sprint back and forth between the two stages, with the perfect pit stop to grab a cold beer.
Cabinet’s third set of the weekend followed Driftwood and began with only JP Biondo and his guitar, as the artist got emotions flowing with his solo version of Audioslave’s “I Am The Highway” to pay tribute to recently deceased Chris Cornell. The rest of the band then joined him acoustically, playing “Pennsylvania” and “Susquehanna Breakdown” for good reason. This acoustic set got fans riled up for their electric set to follow later on at 6:00 PM.
Four-piece Montana natives Kitchen Dwellers proved they are a band to keep on eye on at the Breakdown Stage with their own new-age bluegrass tunes followed by a cover of Umphrey’s McGee’s “In the Kitchen,” a true testament to their versatility. The Wood Brothers and The Moneynotes threw it down before Cabinet’s fourth and final set back on the Susquehanna Stage. Opening up with “Caroline” and encouraging a sing-along from the faithful crowd, Cabinet had everyone ready for the awesome tunes that were about to follow. They brought out Justin Mazer of American Babies to play with them on “Miss Molly,” “Heavy Rain” and “Bottom Of The Sea,” exciting fans for the American Babies set later on. The boys ended with an encore cover of Cake’s “The Distance,” expressing their gratitude as they walked off the stage for the large, die-hard crowd.
Next up was Billy Strings on the Breakdown Stage, a truly impressive young 20-something-year-old whose high energy, articulation and overall sound will continue to grow for years to come in the bluegrass scene.
The much-anticipated headliners Greensky Bluegrass were next to take the Susquehanna Stage. Though slated for two hours, they could have easily continued playing for the course of the night with no complaints from fans. The banter and sit-ins were plentiful as Greensky brought Cabinet brothers JP and Patrick “Pappy” Biondo, Tommy Hamilton, and Billy Strings on stage for several different songs. JP’s shirt “Thank God for Greensky Bluegrass” said it all. Greensky played many songs from their new album Shouted, Written Down & Quoted, including “Past My Prime,” “Living Over” and “Fixin’ To Ruin.” Greensky Bluegrass have created their own version of bluegrass music, mixing it with the rule-breaking spirit of rock and roll. The boys showed off these skills, shutting it down with their closing cover of “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath. With such an epic ending and what seemed like the quickest two hours ever, the crowd left buzzing for more.
Fans headed over to the Breakdown Stage for one last performance at the stage by Tommy Hamilton’s American Babies. Just when we thought our Greensky Bluegrass fix was over, Tommy Hamilton invited Anders Beck on dobro to play classics “Atlantic City” and “Deal,” leaving the crowd in high spirits, everyone singing and clapping along. Last but certainly not least was nine-piece powerfunk band Turkuaz to close out the amazing weekend. It brought a nice change of pace from bluegrass to aggressive funk for some late-night fun. Even after a full day of being on their feet, everyone was breaking it down to their funk-filled jams.
The best way to describe this weekend is refreshing. Festivalgoers left feeling great with their souls full rather than the grogginess one typically feels after camping for a few days. Though our limbs were tired, our souls were revitalized from the deep emotion that bluegrass music brings out. Stellar music, good times and family-oriented fun are just a few ways to describe this perfect small bluegrass festival. Susquehanna Breakdown has a type of magical hometown feel that can’t be matched by bigger festivals. A big thanks to Cabinet for welcoming us and putting it all together to create an environment for bluegrass lovers to unite and to all the bands for leaving us memories to last a lifetime.